April 01, 2015 "ICH"
- "MEE"
- The Syrian conflict has entered its
fifth year, and Bashar al-Assad is still in
power defiant as ever. In fact, he appears
to be increasingly confident after
weathering the worst of the storm. The
prospects for his removal or his regime’s
collapse now appear increasingly remote
after the US switched priority to defeating
the Islamic State, relegating regime-change
in Syria to the back burner indefinitely.

So why has he survived for so
long in the face of such seemingly
overwhelming odds? Why has he been able to
withstand the major global powers, hostile
neighbours on every border and tens of
thousands of well-armed rebel fighters
against him? The rise ISIS and its terror
networks certainly played a large role by
shifting the global focus away from his
regime and onto how to counter the serious
threats to global security posed by the
group.

The unwavering political,
financial and military support of Assad’s
ardent allies Russia, Iran and Hezbollah
were also a significant factor in
stabilising his regime’s control over
territory. In fact, Hezbollah’s direct
“boots on the ground” were instrumental in
the conflict in rolling back rebel gains in
several strategic fronts as well as securing
the major urban population centres which are
all still fully or partially under regime
control. This with the exception of Raqqa
that fell to ISIS after it was taken by
rebels in 2013.

Aside from those two
important factors, there is a third very
crucial one which is mostly overlooked or
under reported, as it does not fit neatly
with the established rhetoric and narrative.
This is especially so among the nations
hostile to the Syrian regime or big global
media organisations. The key to
understanding the secret of the regime’s
longevity is the continued support it enjoys
amongst vast swathes of the Syrian
population, albeit many Syrians do so out of
fear of the alternatives....

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About Me

I am concerned with the direction the US is taking. I have lived in the US since 1990 and never afraid as much since the September, 2001 attack by terror plot (government, group ... don't know the fact) on New York and the pentagon. Many innocent people died that day, but, the response was the most foolish American policy ever. Civil liberty curbed, detention without trial became a norm, torture used, dissent voices shot down. Now since 2003, the US is engaging in unlawful war where bound to be losing. My voice may not count but I see no future for American kids who are going to find bankrupt country some day. The reversal policy is urgent.